MONITORING & METERING ENERGY USE


MONITORING: THE KEY TO REDUCING ENERGY CONSUMPTION


How can facilities managers (FMs) improve energy efficiency if they can’t monitor energy use? Claire Robinson, sales director at IAconnects, explains how monitoring energy consumption in real-time can improve sustainability and reduce costs


R


ising energy costs, ambitious Net Zero targets and increasingly stringent regulations


have all made energy efficiency a top priority for businesses. The Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) requires large organisations in the UK to report their energy use, provide information about their carbon emissions, and do this every year. Similarly, under The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), companies must regularly audit energy consumption and carbon emissions. Energy monitoring is important for understanding


this complex situation. It helps businesses manage their energy and electricity use effectively, with real-time insights helping them find inefficiencies, save money, and lower their carbon footprint. This supports their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals. We always say, consider the four C’s: Compliance, Consumption, Cost and Conservation. As well as meeting regulatory requirements, energy monitoring helps deliver in all these areas while driving real efficiency progress.


THE BENEFITS OF MONITORING Energy monitoring empowers businesses, offering


real-time insights into inefficiencies and the amount of electricity they use across operations, enabling FMs to find trends and spot areas with high usage. This includes old HVAC systems, outdated lighting and energy- wasting habits, such as forgetting to turn the lights off. Energy monitoring also facilitates proactive maintenance, identifying potential issues before they escalate into costly repairs. For example, abnormal consumption patterns can signal malfunctions in electrical equipment, allowing teams to address problems early and maintain optimal performance. Meanwhile, FMs can tailor their monitoring to


different levels of granularity, from meter to asset level. This flexibility enables businesses to maintain precise control over energy use and ensure efficient operations across entire facilities and individual departments.


THE CHALLENGES Introducing energy monitoring systems can be


“Energy


monitoring empowers businesses, offering real-time insights into


inefficiencies and the amount of electricity they use across operations, enabling FMs to find trends”


complex, with a prominent issue being the compatibility of new systems with legacy infrastructure. The installation can also be challenging and intricate, with FMs trying to navigate budget constraints and keep operational disruptions to a minimum. However, data overload can be a problem for businesses. This issue is made worse by gaps


in internal expertise. To overcome these barriers, organisations should invest in


scalable, future-proof solutions that


adapt to evolving needs. Partnering with an experienced provider ensures systems are seamlessly integrated and delivers meaningful insights to maximise results.


LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY FOR EFFICIENCY Modern energy monitoring solutions, such as IoT


sensors, sub-metering systems, and real-time dashboards, provide detailed insights that drive efficiency. These tools enable predictive maintenance, automate optimisation strategies like HVAC adjustments, and help manage peak loads to prevent energy spikes. Choosing interoperable systems with open


communication standards enhances data integration, giving FMs a comprehensive view of energy consumption. Using these tools with current building management systems (BMS) improves the data available. This helps FMs make informed decisions that support net-zero and ESG goals. Energy monitoring truly exemplifies the principle,


‘You can’t manage what you can’t measure’. By enabling real-time insights and actionable energy data, businesses can reduce energy bills, improve sustainability and meet compliance requirements.


Energy monitoring helps businesses manage their energy and electricity use effectively, with real-time insights helping them find inefficiencies, save money, and lower their carbon footprint


www.essmag.co.uk


IAconnects T: 01491 845505 www.iaconnects.co.uk


ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Spring 2023 31


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